


Afterlife

by Red_Terra



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-16 00:37:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9266012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Terra/pseuds/Red_Terra
Summary: Ardyn did not know if there would be anything after his ending.





	

There was a flash of light and then darkness for a moment, before he opened his eyes.  It was as if he had been dreaming and now was waking up.  He found he was riding on a black chocobo and that there was a great throng of people all around, calling his name and cheering him, words of thankfulness and gratitude filling his ears.  Ardyn remembered this, riding among the people in a grand parade, one that was in his honor.  But something was different.  It wasn’t that he was reliving his past – as he looked out into the crowd, there were people present that he knew, people who had lived centuries apart from one another, and yet they were all here now, all at the same time.  This was something else.

He vaguely remembered another past, one that was filled with war and fighting.  One were the people did not welcome him, but reviled him.  He remembered his machinations and scheming, the careful orchestration of events so that he could finally die.  Was he finally dead?  Was this…an afterlife?  Ardyn did not think he would be granted entrance to an afterlife.  The most he had hoped for was a final end – no more thinking, feeling, existing…  So what was this?

The answer came as the vision of a young lady entered into his sight.  He know her at once – the Lady Lunafreya – and he also knew that he had been the one to send her to her death.  All at once his guilt for the cruelty he had performed in his life flooded him like it had never had before.  In life, everything was a means to one end, his own end.  But now, free from that mission, he could clearly see the pain that he had caused and he felt devastated at what he had done.

“Lady Lunafreya,” he said, dismounting the chocobo and falling to his knees in penance.  “I know I cannot possibly apologize for what I’ve done --” Lunafreya held up her hand and smiled down at him.

“I told you that when the prophecy is fulfilled, all in thrall to darkness shall know peace, “ she said with a smile.  “All that has occurred has done so as part of a grand plan.  You are forgiven for your wrongs, just as you will forgive those who have wronged you.”

A flash of a king, long dead, filled his mind and Ardyn wondered if he would find him here.  If the matter of his demonization by said king would finally be brought out publicly, with his accuser begging for forgiveness, as Ardyn now did before Lunafreya.  He found himself suddenly not caring.  Here that person could no longer hurt him; he was once again remembered by the people to be the savior that had helped them when they were alive.

Lunafreya touched Ardyn’s shoulders and bid him to rise.  As he stood, Noctis suddenly appeared by Lunafreya’s side.  Ardyn almost fell to his knees again in apology but Lunafreya’s hands seemed to hold him up.  Noctis’ smile matched his wife’s and he reached out to shake Ardyn’s hand.

“All is as it should be,” he said, sounding older and wiser than he had ever in life, “and all is forgiven.”

“Thank you…I know that is not enough, but…thank you,” Ardyn replied, for once not knowing exactly what to say.  The couple moved to the side and Luna bid him to remount the chocobo.  Ardyn did so and gazed down at Luna and Noctis for a long moment.  They moved back into the crowd and Ardyn lost sight of them as the people surged forward again, offering him flowers and praise.  For the first time in a very, very long time, Ardyn was at peace and he genuinely smiled as he continued his ride through the crowd.


End file.
